This application claims the priority of German Application No. 102 09 665.1 filed Mar. 5, 2002 the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to an entrance strip for a motor vehicle according to an entrance strip for a motor vehicle which is connected with a side member of a vehicle body and comprises an insert element which forms a stepping surface in a door opening.
From German Patent Document DE 299 20 234 U1, an entrance strip is known which is arranged on an entrance opening of a motor vehicle. This entrance strip consists essentially of an entrance profile which has grooves extending in the longitudinal direction on its top side, into which grooves moldings are inserted which are made of metal.
It is an object of the invention to provide an entrance strip for a motor vehicle which has an insertion element as the tread which is easy to mount and ensures a non-slip entrance and exit.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by providing an entrance strip for a motor vehicle which is connected with a side member of a vehicle body and comprises an insertion element which forms a stepping surface in a door opening, wherein the insertion element comprises a carrier held in a cutout of the entrance strip, which carrier has at least one rubber strip on the top side, which rubber strip is arranged between an exterior-side cover and another interior-side cover.
Important advantages achieved by means of the invention are that the insertion element in the form of a carrier can be snapped in a preassembled manner into a cutout of an entrance strip of a motor vehicle. For this purpose, the insertion element has a carrier which is held in a cutout of the entrance strip and which has rubber strips inserted on the top side, which rubber strips are arranged between an exterior first cover and an interior second cover. As a result of this construction of the carrier and of the covers, the rubber strips are securely held on the carrier by means of a complete enclosure from all sides.
A fastening of the carrier takes place by means of hook elements which are arranged on the edge side and can be hooked into a cutout of the entrance strip and can thereby be fastened. The two covers are connected with the carrier by way of several tabs. The carrier can therefore be fastened without additional screwing devices or other devices in the carrier, and the covers can also be fixed to this carrier in a simple manner by means of the tabs, so that an uncomplicated exchange of the covers and of the rubber strips respectively becomes possible.
The rubber strips preferably consist of mutually spaced longitudinal strands which, by way of cross strands, form a closed and rectangularly developed rubber strip. The closed rubber strip is arranged in a clearance between the outer cover and the inner cover. The rubber strip projects beyond the outer surfaces of the covers. By means of this arrangement of the rubber strip on the carrier between the two covers, an antislip surface is created in the stepping area on a side member of the vehicle which antislip surface, after it is worn out, can simply be exchanged as a whole or only in parts by means of a few manipulations.
The fastening of the covers by means of the tabs takes place by a bending toward the carrier, in which case the tabs of the outer cover are bent on the edge side of the carrier or the tabs are fitted through slots of the carrier and the covers can be fixed by the bending of the tabs.
The covers preferably are formed of a special steel plate. However, other materials, such as carbon, are also conceivable.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.